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College Prowler

Academics

Teachers here are awesome. You really get that personal attention that you’re not supposed to get at big schools. All are extremely approachable. To this day, I keep in touch with two of my favorite professors. Classes are taught by professors, not by teaching assistants (TAs). My only complaint was with one professor who had a bad accent; it was hard to understand his lectures. All in all, I’ve had really good experiences with teachers here.

Athletics

ports are really big on campus. We have excellent baseball, basketball, and football programs. For fall, the school goes nuts over football, and everyone tailgates and parties before the game. Then we all walk towards the stadium following the band. It’s really fun.

Campus Dining

The food is actually really good except for EVK, the freshman cafeteria (the ‘evil kitchen’). It has terrible dinners, but they have really good breakfast and lunch. There’s also this Starbucks-type place called Trojan Grounds.

Campus Housing

New/North are great dorms; they’re very social. I recommend dorms over apartment or suite-style units. If you can’t get dorm-style, suite is the next best. Don’t live in the off-campus apartment; you’ll feel segregated. Marks and Pardee Tower also has good dorms, although they’re not as much fun as New/North. Honors dorms are not nicer than regular dorms.

Campus Strictness

Drugs are a no-go, alcohol is possible if you’re discrete and have a cool RA. DPS is always looking for something to do, so if you’re being public about what you’re doing, there will be paperwork. Off campus, though, LAPD has bigger things to worry about than college kids having a good time.

Computers

The computer network is fast. If you can afford it, bring you own computer. Laptop or desktop, it’s your choice. Laptops can get stolen, but it’s really nice to bring one to the library because it’s harder to study in the dorms. Just get a lock and be smart; don’t leave it anywhere. If you have a laptop, you can go to empty classrooms to work. Plus, there are study lounges in the dorms. You can get by without a computer, but it’s more convenient to get one.

Diversity

USC is incredibly diverse. That’s something I really love about this school. Not only are we diverse people-wise, but there are so many things directed at so many different people. The list of clubs, organizations, and programs on campus is amazing.

Drug Scene

Let’s see . . . there’s a lot of weed and some ‘shrooms. Coke and meth aren’t too big, but I’ve seen it come through. ‘E’ was big for a while, but I think people are getting over that. I guess it’s mostly weed.

Facilities

We have swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a huge gym with everything that a gym you would pay for would have. It is three stories tall! The libraries are amazing. There are also quiet places on campus to read and talk with friends, like fountains and small parks. You forget that you’re in the ghetto! There’s a TV station on campus and two or three newspapers all run by students. Different groups have festivals, concerts in the middle of campus, dance competitions, and carnivals—all near one of the libraries on a huge grass field.

Greek Life

Greek life has always run USC’s social scene. It is the backbone of the alumni network, and it has a huge impact on the kinds of jobs that graduates can expect to find once they leave campus.

Guys & Girls

I will say that the guys at USC are mostly hot, especially the frat guys. Guys at USC are pretty arrogant, though. Just warning you. The girls are all pretty hot, too. It’s common knowledge that a girl from USC will be in demand at any other campus in the nation but could have a hard time finding a guy at USC. It’s mostly because everybody’s cute and smart. There’s a lot of eye candy here.

Local Atmosphere

I highly recommend Griffith Park (observatory, golf, hanging out), Hollywood at night, the Westside (Santa Monica), Highway 1 from Santa Monica to Malibu (beautiful beaches), Beverly Center, Century City, 3rd Street Promenade, countless other outdoor malls with great stores, Melrose, Hollywood, and Highland, countless lounges and restaurants. There’s a ton of stuff around here.

Nightlife

If you want to stay close to campus, there is a bar called the 9-0. It’s a bit small, and the drinks can cost a bit, but if you’re a girl, that doesn’t matter; your drinks will almost always be paid for. The 9-0 is convenient because they are not very strict on IDs. USC also has an on-campus bar called Traditions. Remember that when at USC, you are only about 10 miles away from Hollywood and the Sunset Strip. There, you can find just about any bar or club worth going to in LA.

Off-Campus Dining

Go to Del Taco and Chano’s for Mexican and Spudnuts for doughnuts. There are a variety of fast food joints best appreciated at 3 a.m. You have to try La Barca and El Cholo for great Mexican food and awesome margaritas, but both require a little drive. Diddy Reise will be the cause of any weight gain in college. It’s in Westwood and famous for their cookies and ice cream sandwiches. You pick the cookie, the ice cream, and you pay a buck. Pretty cool.

Off-Campus Housing

If you’re in a sorority or fraternity, it’s a good idea to move into the house because it’s right off campus. There are some places that are right off campus, and there are some a little farther away that mostly older students live in. I definitely do recommend living on campus freshman year because the people who lived in apartments always said they wished they had gotten the dorm experience and were always coming over to hang out.

Overall Experience

I have no regrets about where I chose to go to school. Southern California is the coolest place to spend your college years. USC caters to the wants of most of its students. If you’re into sports, it has great teams. If you like to party, plenty of people do that, too. If you don’t like to party, you can also find those kinds of kids. If you like to get involved, it’s easy to do so.

Parking

Parking is hell, plain and simple. I don’t have a car, but I’ve heard horror stories, and DPS loves to write tickets. Parking permits are really expensive and cost anywhere from $100–$300 a semester. Unfortunately, it’s LA, and it’s almost necessary to have a car. If you’re planning on bringing your car out west, then you’ll need parking, but if you live in University housing, it’s usually not hard to find.

Safety & Security

On campus, I never worried about strange neighborhood people coming to my door or anything, but once I moved off-campus, that changed a little. I moved into a house that is three or four blocks from campus. We have had quite a few things stolen from our yard. We also have people come and solicit a lot, which can be scary if you are home alone. You won’t get this if you live in campus housing or the off-campus, USC-owned apartments.

Transportation

Campus Cruiser is the greatest. Call them up after 5 p.m., and they will take you anywhere on campus to anywhere off campus within a certain radius. There are always cabs you can flag down to get downtown, too.

Weather

Let me put it this way: if you didn’t bring a single pair of pants to school, it wouldn’t really matter. It is never humid, and it only rains for about 16 days out of the school year. I have never heard anyone comment negatively on the weather here.